Google+ unveils wholesale design changes

Google's answer to Facebook, Google+, has undergone a major design change as news streams, user profiles and hangouts have all been given a spring clean.

According to Econsultancy, Google+'s major overhaul includes a new vertical navigation bar, which gives the user greater customisation rights - like where the 'Home', 'Photos' and 'Circles' tabs can be located.

Furthermore, Google's video service Hangouts has been given its own dedicated page while user profiles have been revamped. Profile pictures are now located on the right-hand side, while a Facebook Timeline-esque cover picture sits at the top of the page.

As a result, social media marketing professionals may want to familiarise themselves with the changes before accessing client accounts, as they could be left confused by some of the new additions.

Vic Gundotra, senior vice president at Google, commented on the revamp. Cited by Computer World, he said: "Today we're introducing a more functional and flexible version of Google+. We think you'll find it easier to use and nicer to look at, but most importantly, it accelerates our efforts to create a simpler, more beautiful Google.

"We're going to continue upgrading all the features you already know and love - from search and Maps to Gmail and YouTube."

The redesign comes in tandem with an announcement from the firm which suggested that over 170 million people have signed up for Google+. However, critics are wary of the figure because anyone that signs up for a related Google service also creates a Google+ account too.